Roundup: Samohi hosts hoops doubleheader; SMC’s Ceachir picks Utah

SAMOHI — For the first time in recent memory, Santa Monica High School’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will play a home doubleheader.

Scheduled for Thursday, the girls open the action against Valencia at 5:30 p.m. The boys will take the court, also against Valencia, at the conclusion of the opener.

“This is great way for us to build unity,” girls’ coach Marty Verdugo said. “We thought it would be a perfect chance for us to create some excitement for both programs.”

The girls enter the game at 4-4 this season and hold a No. 14 ranking in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA poll. The boys are coming off a fifth place finish in “The Tournament,” which concluded on Saturday at Samohi.

The boys are currently ranked No. 5 in CIF-SS Division 1AA.

SMC’s Ceachir chooses Utah

Santa Monica College sophomore offensive lineman Alexandru Ceachir has given a verbal commitment to new Pac-12 member Utah, the Desert News is reporting.

The lineman from the Republic of Moldova has played just two years of American football, but was able to draw the interest of recruiters from a number schools including Arkansas, Colorado and Fresno State.

Ceachir was part of a renaissance of sorts for SMC football this past season.

The team finished the season as American Division Pacific Conference champs with an 8-3 overall record.